Hersley-Ven Casero is a multidisciplinary visual artist and street and documentary photographer based in Dumaguete City, Philippines. He received his BSC in Marketing and an Artist of the Year Award from Foundation University, and in 2018, the Negros Oriental Young Heroes Award in the field of Visual Arts. In 2019, Casero became the first Filipino to participate in the Chalk Hill Artist Residency program based in California USA, after they awarded him one of their limited spots as a sponsored resident artist. This year, the Dumaguete City Council awarded Casero the ‘Resolution of Recognition and Commendation as a Dumaguete Luminary, whose extraordinary artistry and unwavering dedication have elevated our city and inspired generations’.
Being born and raised in Dumaguete, the city has shaped Casero’s perspective as a visual artist and is the stage for many of his paintings and photographs. His works have been recognised and published in local, national and international publications and exhibitions, including various cities around the Philippines, UK, USA, India, Ukraine, Dubai, Poland, Germany, Portugal, Paris, Cyprus and Italy. In July 2023, Casero was featured in an article about his life and work in VOGUE Philippines.
Casero has earned several international awards and recognitions for his photography, including Silver Medal by Paris International Street Photography Awards 2020, First Prize & Category Winner of the Year by Muse Photography Awards 2021, Finalist by the Sony World Photography Awards 2021, Finalist by the Street Photography International Awards 2022, Finalist by Miami Street Photography Awards 2022, Finalist by Eyeshot Open Call 2022, 2nd Prize & Finalist by the Italian Street Photography Awards 2022, and Finalist by the Italian Street Photography Festival 2023.
His long-term passion projects include his ‘Catch A Moment’, or ‘CAM’, street photography series, in which he catches split-second snapshots of elements aligning in humorous and uncanny ways in everyday life. In 2021, Casero published his first street photography book entitled ‘All in Good Time’ which compiled ‘Catch A Moment’ street photographs from around his home city of Dumaguete.
Over the years of his lifelong journey in the field of visual arts, Casero has explored and experimented with a wide spectrum of materials, subjects and concepts. He motivates others by collaborating through art projects like ‘Ha?: The Laughing Boy Project’ and promoting the freedom of self expression through art. In 2022, he illustrated the children’s book ‘The Great Little Hunter’ inspired by Filipino mythology and natural elements and creatures from around Dumaguete.
Casero’s art and photography perpetually inform and inspire each other, encouraging him to stay curious, to wonder daily at the whimsicality of the world around him, and to find, capture and record the magic that exists in the mundane of everyday life within his hometown of Dumaguete and beyond.
Selected Exhibitions:
2024
Jun Photography Collaboration & Photography Exhibition, Huawei Philippines & Fotomoto, Cebu & Manila, Philippines
May-Jun “Imaginarium II”, Group Art Exhibition, LibrAria, Arté Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Apr “Ang Pagdakop sa Damgo: An Exhibit of Dumaguete’s Children’s Literature” Featuring “Imaginarium” by LibrAria & “The Great Little Hunter”, Exhibition, National Museum of the Philippines Dumaguete, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Mar “The Street Soup”, International Photography Exhibition, The Street Soup Art Gallery, Milan, Italy
2023
Oct “Paghanduraw sa Sining Bahandi sa Negros”, Group Art Exhibition, Mugna Gallery, National Museum of the Philippines, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Oct “KAMUGNAAN”, Group Art Exhibition, Buglasan Festival 2023, Mugna Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Oct “Piaya Pop!”, Group Art Exhibition, Gallery Sort Of, Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Sep “The World in Love with Itself”, Group Photography Exhibition, Qube Gallery, Cebu City, Philippines
Jun “Sunny Day”, Group Art Exhibition, Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery, Makati City, Philippines
May “Mother & Child Reimagined and Recast by 40 Contemporary Artists”, Group Art Exhibition, Qube Gallery, Banilad, Cebu City, Philippines
May “Fotomoto 22: Home”, Group Photography Exhibition, Orange Gallery, Bacolod, Philippines
Apr “Onion Kids: Homecoming”, Solo Photography Exhibition, Mugna Gallery, Valencia, Philippines
Mar “Fotomoto 21: Portraits” Group Photography Exhibition, Romeo Ariniego Gallery, Silliman University, Dumaguete, Philippines
Feb-Mar “Fotomoto 22: Home” Group Photography Exhibition, Gallery Indigo, BenCab Museum, Tuba, Benguet, Philippines
Feb “Onion Kids”, Solo Photography Exhibition, Mugna Gallery, Art Fair Philippines, Level 7, The Link Ayala Center, Makati City, Philippines
Feb “Fotomoto 22: Home” Special Edition, Group Photography Exhibition, Art Fair Philippines, Level 7, The Link Ayala Center, Makati City, Philippines
2022
Dec “The Miami Street Photography Festival”, Art Basel Miami, Miami, USA
Nov “Current”, Collaborative art series with Shelter Gallery, Visayas Art Fair, Cebu, Philippines
Nov “Fotomoto 22: Home”, Photography exhibition, Parola UP Fine Arts Gallery, Manila, Philippines
Nov “Eyeshot Open Call Exhibition”, Photography exhibition, Galleria del Cembalo, Rome, Italy
Oct Collaboration with Levi’s, Art exhibition and event , Glorietta Mall, Manila, Philippines
Apr “The Great Little Hunter”, Book Launching and Art exhibition, Dakong Balay Art Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Feb “Ripples”, Art exhibition, Shelter Art Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Jan “The Wall”, International Photography exhibition, Kennedy Square, Paphos, Cyprus
Jan “Bahandi sa Kabakhawan”, Group Art exhibition to benefit Mangrove conservation, Dakong Balay Art Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
2021
Jun “All in Good Time”, Book Launching and Photography exhibition, Dakong Balay Art Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Mar “SALT”, Solo Art exhibition, Art Cube Philippines Gallery, Makati City, Manila, Philippines
Feb “ATOA”, Group Art exhibition for February National Arts Month celebration, Dakong Balay Art Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Jan “MAKE OR BREAK: New Year’s Resolushow”, Group Art exhibition, Space Encounters Gallery, Ortigas Center, Manila, Philippines
2020
Dec “ORGANIC MAGIC”, Solo Art exhibition, Dakong Balay Art Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Nov “MMXX: Year End Exhibition”, Art for Space Gallery, Manila, Philippines
Nov “FUJIFILM MOMENT STREET PHOTO AWARDS 2020”, Group Photo Exhibition, Poland
Oct “City VS Quarantine”, Traveling Group Photo exhibition, Lviv, Ukraine & other European cities
Mar - Dec 2020 “#ICPConcerned: Global Images for Global Crisis”, International Center of Photography, 79 Essex Street, New York, USA
Feb “Pedicab Art Project”, first mobile Group Art exhibition in Dumaguete City, Philippines
Jan “On The Rocks”, Solo Art exhibition, Space Encounters Gallery, Ortigas Center, Manila, Philippines
2019
Oct - Jan 2020 “California Dreamin”, Back to back Art exhibition with NY Artist Antoinette Wysocki, Gallery 105, Santa Rosa, California, USA
Oct “SOLSTICE SEASON”, Group Art exhibition, Chalk Hill Residency Art Gallery, Healdsburg, California, USA
Sep “WISHING ROCKS”, Solo Art exhibition, Chalk Hill Residency Art Gallery, Healdsburg, California, USA
Jun “ROOTS”, Group Art exhibition, BLOCK17 Art Space, Art District, Bacolod City, Philippines
Feb “ANONYMOUS ANIMALS 2018”, Group Art exhibition, NCCA Art Gallery, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines
2018
Oct “ANONYMOUS ANIMALS 2018”, Group Art exhibition, Mariyah Gallery & Ariniego Art Gallery, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Aug “IMPERMANENCE”, Solo Art exhibition, Space Encounters Gallery, Ortigas, Manila, Philippines
Mar “NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED”, Group Art exhibition, Space Encounters Gallery, Ortigas, Manila, Philippines
Feb “I SEE FACES TOO”, Group exhibition, The Perfect Exposure Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2017
Nov “MAONG”, Solo Art exhibition, Art Cube Philippines Gallery, Makati City, Manila, Philippines
Oct “PROJECT UNO”, Group Art exhibition, Robinson’s Place, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Feb “StART”, Group Art exhibition, Art Cube Philippines Gallery, Makati City, Manila, Philippines
2016
Oct “REAPING WALLS”, Group Art exhibition, House of Frida Gallery, Bacolod City
Sep “SANCTUARY”, Solo Art exhibition, Art Verite Gallery, Serendra, Bonifacio High Global, Taquig City, Manila
Jun “PROMDI”, Group Art exhibition, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila
Jun “PROMDI”, Group Art exhibition, National Commission for the Culture & the Arts Art Gallery,
Intramuros, Manila
Apr “ART IN THE PARK 2016”, Group Art exhibition, Art Verite Gallery Booth, Jaime Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Mar “THE ACADEMY COLLECTIVE”, Group Art exhibition, Qube Gallery, Crossroads, Banilad, Cebu
Feb “ART FAIR PHILIPPINES 2016”, Group Art exhibition, Art Verite Gallery, Booth 26, Level 7, The Link Ayala Center, Makati City
Feb “VIVID”, Group Photo exhibition, Paseo Perdices, Dumaguete City, Philippines
2015
Nov “CHROMATEXT Rebooted”, Group Art exhibition, Bulwagang Juan Luna and Pasilyo Juan Luna, Cultural Center of the Philippines
Jun “South Pacific Photo Exhibition”, El Amigo & KRI Restaurant, Dumaguete City
May “HIPA” International Photography Exhibition, SM Aura, Manila, Philippines
Feb “Faculty Forum: DAFA Mentor’s Art Exhibit”, Café Memento, Dumaguete City
2014
Nov “Thirty”, Solo Art Exhibition, KRI Restaurant, Dumaguete City
Nov “Homegrown II”, Mural Project, Bacolod, Philippines
Feb “In-Twin & Stay Series”, Café Memento, Dumaguete City
Feb “ONE: FU DAFA Mentor’s Art Exhibit”, Café Memento & KRI Restaurant, Dumaguete City
2013
Nov “ARTWalk: Art for a Cause”, Dumaguete City, Co-Organizer & Exhibiting Artist
Sep “Mientras Tanto”, Qube Gallery, Cebu, Philippines
Aug “Take Off”, Group Art exhibit, KRI Restaurant, Dumaguete
Apr “The Ha? Project: Master’s Series”, Primero Kongreso, Qube Gallery, Cebu, Philippines
2012
Nov “Pagpahiluna” – Featured Artist, curated show by Patrick Flores, The 12th VIVA Excon Biennale, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Oct “Opening”, Group Show, KOP Building, Dumaguete City, Philippines
Feb “The Dragon”, The Dumaguete's First Art Auction to benefit the Survivors of Typhoon Sendong and Earthquake, February 25, 2012
Feb “PAPER”, featured film at CINEMA REHIYON 2012, Bacolod, Philippines
